CHAPTER 15

Once I had released some of my grief and tears, I wanted to see Father. Wiping my face, I urged Gwynna to the black market path, crossing several wooded areas and doubling back, in case I was followed. I was unsure of what Sir Guy might do next, but I did not need him to find the black market. Once there, I crossed under the bridge to the clearing to see Father and Will chatting near his table. Will brightened as I approached, and stood with an exaggerated limp. "We were wondering when you would finish your delivery," he said. "I was concerned that you might have maimed Morrison in some way."

I forced a nervous smile to my face, but both of them immediately knew something was wrong. "Will, would you let me speak to my father alone for a moment?" Curious but obliging, Will nodded and departed for his father's stall.

I wasted no time in telling Father everything. He listened patiently, his face dark, but with less surprise than I had hoped. When I was done, he shook his head.

"It pains me to see you hurt, and used in this way. Obviously he was not serious about his courtship for you."

I had no reply.

Father took my hand. "Sir Guy is unpredictable. We may have to be even more careful now with our tax payments, and I want you to continue learning swordplay from Will. You may have to tell him about Sir Guy," he added bleakly.

"I know," I said. I didn't look forward to it, because I truly cared for Will.

"It's time to close," he said, looking at the sun. "Let's gather our things and take Gwynna. Would you like to ask Will to dinner?"

"Not tonight," I said, feeling exhausted. Father nodded, and we began folding cloaks and dresses to pack onto Gwynna. I saw Will heading to our table, and sighed inwardly. "Do you need any help, Nyssa?" he asked.

"We are fine, Will," I said, flashing my most artificial and dazzling smile. "But I will see you tomorrow for another lesson. I'll try not to hurt you this time."

I could tell he was not fooled, but he inquired no further, and smiled in parting. Father and I headed home with Gwynna, each lost in our own thoughts. My heart felt numb, and yet in an odd way, relieved that I now knew the score with Sir Guy. He had gone to France, fallen in love with elegant, French Sabine and decided that his lot was better with her. Brutal as it was, it made sense. The class system of our time encouraged it, and she had much more to offer him as a noblewoman. The status and power that he had always craved were a certainty with Sabine's political connections. As we neared the house, I forced myself to intellectualize the situation, and tried to put my heart's pain away for the moment.

Dinner was a silent affair. Both of us were emotionally and physically exhausted from the day, so we said little. My eyelids were heavy, as it grew dark. Just as Father was taking his last cup of mead, we heard Aomir's steady tattoo of hoof beats coming closer to the house.

Both of us jerked into awareness. Father nodded at the secret room, and I paused. I did not want to hide. Father glared at me, and I sighed and abruptly opened the puzzle door. I entered, and waited for the drama to unfold.

It came very quickly. I heard violent banging on the door and Sir Guy's roar. "Nyssa! I've come for you, and I need to speak with you!"

I heard Father open the door. "Sir Guy, my daughter is not here," I heard him say. "And if she was I would remind you that you have certainly given me all cause to break off any courtship you once had."

There was a moment of silence before Sir Guy spoke. "I do not believe you, Master Edan, and I must speak to Nyssa."

"She is not here, as I said," Father said, his voice rising. "She went to the Sewards to be comforted by her friend Charmaine."

"I have already searched that house and found nothing, Master Edan. I have also," he continued, his voice growing threatening, "searched every other place she would be. I know she is here, and I want to see her."

My fists clenched in fury. Father answered him, "Sir Guy, I know this be an unusual experience, but you cannot always have what you want. You led my daughter to believe that you loved her and would marry her, then humiliated her. Now I understand you are engaged to a Frenchwoman (I noticed he did not say lady), so I cannot believe you were ever serious about my daughter. Therefore, you have no right to demand that she see you."

I felt Guy's rage explode into the room, and heard our evening's dishes crash to the floor. "I will demand whatever I want!" he thundered. "And I want your daughter here, right now!"

"Get out of my house," I heard Father say. "You have no right to anything here, unless you buy it, and my daughter is not for sale!"

I then heard Guy overturning chairs, and smashing more crockery. Father was shouting at him to stop, and I could hardly bear it. I then heard Guy grab my father, and zing of his sword being drawn. "Nyssa!" Guy shouted. "If you do not come out, I will arrest your father!"

"Arrest me, then!" Father said. I heard the heavy thud of Guy's fist on the table, and was afraid my father might be the next recipient of a blow. Looking around the room, I saw the practice sword that Will had lent me, and realized while I was cornered I was not helpless. Guy's back was to me, and he was still shouting at me to come out. I took the sword, opened the puzzle door, and put the tip to the small of Guy's back. He froze, immediately releasing my Father. I spoke in a soft but deadly tone.

"Drop your sword."

He remained completely still, and slowly bent down to do as I asked. I nodded to Father, who picked it up. "Turn around…. slowly." I said. As he did I held the sword eye level with Guy, and stared him down. He held his hands out to show he was unarmed. I backed him up towards the door, now enjoying the feeling he had always known. "Get out of our house," I said coldly.

Slowly, he turned to look over his shoulder at me. "Nyssa—" he began in a winning, deep tone.

"Merchant's daughter, please," I retorted. "I have no name to you anymore."

"My lady," he said. "I must speak with you."

"There is nothing you could say that I would possibly want to hear," I said. "Leave."

He turned all the way around, slowly and carefully, his hands still up. "If I leave, I will come back. And I will keep coming back until you hear what I have to say."

I knew he would do just as he said, which made me angry. Perhaps it was best to get it over with so he would leave us alone. Sighing, I gestured to the door with my sword. "I will hear you, outside, now. And Father keeps your weapon until I say so."

"Agreed," he said, but then appeared perturbed when I followed him outside with my own sword still drawn. "Aren't you going to leave your weapon inside as well? Knightly conduct dictates that both of disarm."

"How quickly you forget that I am no knight, and no noble," I snapped back. "I'm just a merchant's daughter, so your moralistic upper class rules mean nothing to me."

Guy sighed and opened the door, slowly walking outdoors while I kept the point of my blade in the small of this back. I followed, and nodded to Father to keep the door slightly open in case I needed his help. Once we were outside, I could only see Guy by moonlight, and I kept my blade trained on him as he turned.

"Speak."

His eyes, always so enigmatic, swept up and down my figure, coming to rest on the sword in my hand. I could see from the fire in them that he was roused as well as irritated. "When did you learn to handle a blade?"

"Quite likely while you were swiving your bride to be," I sneered at him. "Is that all?"

"No, that is not all," Guy whispered, his voice heavy with emotion. He took a step towards me. "Nyssa—"

"Damn it, stay back!" I bit out. I took a short swipe at him, and he did as I said. Inwardly I applauded myself. No wonder men love swords, I thought. The sense of control was quite intoxicating.

A combination of anger and admiration played across Guy's handsome features. "Please." He spread his hands in a calming gesture. "Put the sword down. I feel as though I'm being interrogated." He broke into one of his winning smiles, as if nothing had changed for the past two months. This infuriated me.

"You must think me a very great fool, Sir Guy," I said, "if you believe I will let you within ten yards of me after the other night."

Guy's eyes dropped from my stare, and he had the grace to look embarrassed. "Forgive me for that," he said. "I was…not myself." He looked back at me then, rakish and dangerous. "But I had not seen …and you…"

"You insulted me on the road and then treated me like a common prostitute last night. You told me that you loved me and wanted to marry me, and now you are engaged to that French slattern. What more needs to be said between us?" I demanded.

"I want you to know that the marriage is not my idea, nor my desire," Guy cut in.

"Yet here we are," I said stonily.

"Listen to me. When I went with Vaisey to France it was to meet with Prince John. I could not tell you or anyone this! I am a Black Knight and bound to him until he is King. Prince John is very displeased with Vaisey's lack of ability to capture Robin Hood and collect more taxes. John also needed an alliance with France to strengthen his own position against Richard."

I listened to this with interest. "King, Richard, you mean," I said.

"King for now," Guy replied. "Sabine's uncle is the Ambassador to the King of France. He is well positioned to help us in our war efforts, and his price was a profitable marriage for his daughter. Vaisey would have had her himself, but—"

"But she simply couldn't resist you. I'm sure you had great sport in charming the knickers off of her," I finished for him.

"No," he said ominously. "I did not. I was forced to be in the same room with her while the negotiations were taking place, and she became smitten. It was painful for me. I did not encourage her—"

"You are wasting your breath, Sir Guy," I said, my sword still trained on him. It was heavy in my arms, and a light sweat had broken out on my brow, but I would not let up.

"I did not encourage her, and I told Vaisey I would not go through with it," Guy went on. "It came down to John, who needed the alliance. I was to marry her or lose my life."

"It was my understanding that you were already courting me then." I said evenly. "Perhaps I misunderstood? You could not have told them this?"

"They would have arrested you and your Father, or worse," Guy said. "I could not write, because John was suspicious and watched all of my correspondence. I was forced to propose before we came back to England, and I could not imagine how to tell you what had happened at first. The day you saw me on the road, Morrison was watching our conversation, I could not have him know—"

"That you loved a tradesman's daughter," I finished. "You damn bloody coward."

Guy's eyebrows shot up. "Coward? I thought you would see—"

"That position and power mean more to you than anything else? I see very clearly."

"They threatened my life, Nyssa!" Guy said. "Would you rather I was dead?"

At this, I involuntarily lowered the sword. My arms were spent. It was an impossible situation, and I felt tears gathering in my eyes. Ever the hunter, Guy saw me let up for a moment and made as if to move towards me, which made me remember Will's words: Never assume it's safe.

Exhausted, I managed to raise my blade as he tried to come closer, and he backed away again. "Well, you are most certainly alive, and from what I overheard today, doing your best to impregnate that Sabine. Oh, apologies, Lady Sabine, though she is no lady to me." My eyes bore into his, demanding he take responsibility for what had been said.

His own gaze stuttered away from me. "I can make no excuse for what you heard today. I have to find a way to make this marriage work, and she is constantly in my shadow."

"I see," I said. Now I did lower the sword. His words were protection enough for me to never forget that he was now with another woman. He glanced back to me, his eyes seeming to plead.

"Nyssa, love is not required for the act of procreation."

"I am aware of this. Only lust is needed. Perhaps you should see a priest." I turned to the doorway, where Father stood. "Father, hand me his sword. Sir Guy is leaving now," I said with finality.

Guy's face was pale and ashen as I handed him his weapon. He immediately sheathed it. I knew he wanted to say more, but thought better of it from the look on my face. "Good bye, Sir Guy," I said. "I will only expect to see you again when taxes are to be paid. Aomir is waiting."

Guy turned to walk to his horse. He looked like a man sentenced to death, caught between disbelief at my reaction and something akin to shame. The stunned look in his eyes almost amused me, as if he had expected to beguile his way back into my life, with no responsibility or explanation of the past two months. I knew he was used to having his way, as a handsome and powerful man, and it seemed impossible to him that this should not have happened. As he mounted Aomir, he glared back down at me.

"Do you really think I will give you up so easily?" he scowled.

"Sir Guy, I think you gave me up the day you left for France and bedded Sabine," I replied.

Anger leapt into his eyes and his lips tensed. In one of his signature unforeseen moves, he reached out and gripped my hand, holding me so that I could not turn away. He pulled me closer towards him so that my face was next to his, his blue eyes burning with passion.

"I detest Sabine. She is a weak, spoilt child who has always been given everything she wants. This marriage is a political arrangement, nothing more, and I am only doing what's expected!"

"And as I said," I replied, gritting my teeth, "I don't care what's expected of you in your noble circles. You betrayed my trust, and have no cause to think there is anything more between us!"

Guy's hand dug into my wrist, and I winced, twisting away from him. "You may think there is nothing more between us, but I will never give you up, Nyssa," he said, his voice lowering a tone. "Not in this lifetime. Look at me," he ordered, putting his face close to mine. His gaze held mine steadily, and for a moment I was lost to his words and his sea-colored eyes.

"I love you. I never stopped loving you and I will always love you. I will find a way to win you back, and when I do, I will never be parted from you again."

For a moment I was quite lost for words, but quickly recovered.

"Much fortuity in winning me back from Sabine's bed, you bastard!" I hissed.

Guy's face darkened. He released me angrily and spurred Aomir into a gallop. I breathed heavily as I glared after him, wondering how one man could be so detestable and appealing at once. I gripped my sword, trying to decide if I wanted him or Sabine on its sharp tip. Perhaps both of them…